Drawing Animals on Colored Paper

Exploring Emotion, Color, and Form Through Nature

Lesson Summary

In this project, we’ll draw animals on colored paper to explore how color affects mood, energy, and depth. By working on toned backgrounds, we’ll use shadows and highlights to bring our animals to life and create illustrations that feel dynamic and full of emotion.

Learning Goals

• Learn how to draw on colored paper using both monochrome and full color

• Understand how to express energy and movement through color

• Explore how color choices can change the emotion or temperature of an image

Step-by-Step Process

1. Choose Your Animal
   Pick an animal that you feel connected to—one that inspires you or makes you curious.

2. Choose a Paper Color
   Choose a colored paper that complements or matches the animal’s natural color. For example:

   • Grey paper for elephants

   • Green for crocodiles

   • Brown for owls
     The background color will become part of your artwork’s mood.

3. Light Sketch
   Lightly sketch the shape of your animal with a pencil. Focus on the posture, the rhythm, and the personality of the creature.

4. Outline
   Carefully define the outlines using pencil, pen, or a fine marker. Once your drawing feels right, everything else builds around it.

5. Add Shadows
   Use cool, dark colors to build your shadows. Think about where the light is coming from. Shade in the direction that helps your animal feel grounded and real.

6. Add Highlights
   Now add warm, light tones to show where the light hits. This creates contrast and depth. Your animal will begin to stand out from the paper.

7. Final Touches
   Use opaque white paint or pencil to bring out the brightest highlights—like the sparkle in an eye, the tip of a nose, or light on fur. This makes your artwork pop off the page.

Student Work: Animals on Colored Paper

Celebrate the color, contrast, and character in each drawing. Notice how different animals come alive in different moods, just by shifting the colors.